hanoi, vietnam

i am traveling through vietnam, cambodia, and thailand for the month of january. it is my hope to be able to post, but do not know how much access i will have to the internet....so far it's been minimal. i flew from seoul to hanoi on the fourth and met up with my peeps. we are on a guided tour through vietnam and cambodia (thank goodness, otherwise in our state of shock and overwhelm we'd most likely be on the first flight out).
this time in vietnam is clearly not going to be a relaxing vacation...rather it is an immensely educational, consciousness-raising experience....one that pushes my nervous system and psyche to the edge. i had no idea it would be like it is here. i had an idealized, rather ignorant view of things. the pollution alone is beyond what i've ever seen or imagined...i thought daegu, korea was bad...well, i will have a completely different perspective upon returning there. the air hangs heavy and thick like a grey haze above hanoi 24/7. we do not see the sun. when walking on the streets of the city, dodging the 2 million motorbikes, i feel like i'm breathing in air that is pure poison....lungs and throat burning. i realize what a bubble i have lived in back in the u.s. i see what is happening here and i wonder how on earth this level of environmental devastation is reversible.